David Benavidez vs David Morrell Betting Tips
There is a mouthwatering light heavyweight showdown taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night as unbeaten duo David Benavidez and David Morrell go toe-to-toe.
Benavidez has stepped up to this weight class to chase a world title after growing frustrated in his attempts to take on Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at super middleweight.
The 28-year-old boasts an impressive 29-0 record with 24 stoppages, while opponent Morrell is 11-0 with nine wins inside the distance.
The winner of this bout may get a chance to take on whoever prevails in the undisputed light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol taking place on February 22, depending on how that one plays out, but neither man should be looking beyond the task in hand.
Tip 1 – David Morrell to win at 17/10
Benavidez is a formidable fighter with an impressive record and his CV makes him a deserved favourite, but underdog Morrell is more than capable of pulling off an upset.
The Arizona native was a huge super middleweight and getting down to that weight was clearly getting more and more difficult before he made the move up to 175lbs.
‘El Bandera Roja’ didn’t look particularly comfortable in his debut in this division against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and seemed to tire after eight rounds, but he had done enough to record a unanimous decision win.
The cruiserweight division may be where Benavidez really belongs, whereas Morrell looks far more comfortable in this division after making the move up himself from super middleweight.
The Cuban’s professional record looks fairly modest but he has tested himself at every opportunity and every fighter he’s faced since his debut has had a winning record.
A stoppage victory over the previously unbeaten Aidos Yerbossynuly and a wide points win over former world title challenger Radivoje Kalajdzic are particular highlights of his record.
The southpaw has been chasing a fight with Benavidez for a few years and has looked in great shape in the build-up, so he could well produce a minor upset this weekend by stunning the unbeaten American in Vegas.
Tip 2 - Fight To Go The Distance - No at 9/5
Neither of these men have ever been stopped, or indeed beaten, so it makes sense that the odds point towards the judges being required. Looking at the stoppage rates of these two fighters paints a different picture, though.
Morrell has nine wins inside the distance, giving him a KO rate of just under 82%, and he had a reasonable stoppage rate in his amateur days, where he faced some elite opponents. Those wins arguably eclipse the calibre of fighters Benavidez was taking on early in his professional days.
Benavidez has a slightly better stoppage rate of just under 83% and seven of his last nine wins have come inside the distance, so both men clearly possess the kind of power that could bring this fight to a close before the judges are required.
The American may want to get to work early after tiring against Gvozdyk, and Morrell is capable of carrying his power through a 12-round bout as his win over Yerbossynuly came in the final round. However, his last two stoppages have been inside the first two rounds.
There is a real chance this could be an all-action affair as both fighters like to push forward, so we could be in line for an early end to the headline event in Las Vegas.
If you’re tempted by both of these tips combined, a Morrell win by stoppage is 13/2. On the other hand, if you’re still leaning towards the favourite, Benavidez is 14/5 to win by KO, TKO or DQ.
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation